Thursday, February 25, 2016

"GRAY and WHITE. . .NATURE-INSPIRED HUES. . .deliver a blend of PEACE and POSITIVITY in 2016"

For a couple of years I've been enamored with soft shades of WHITE and GRAY for tranquility in our own home. . .utilizing neutrals that CALM the SOUL. . .

Recently, I came across an article in Kitchen and Bath Business--a trade magazine that keeps me up-to-date on new products and trends. . .I may live in a true FARMHOUSE, but that doesn't mean I can't latch onto some inspiration from present trends. . .What's really nice is when my decorating style lines up with the marketplace. . .I love saying to myself, "Well. . .I've been doing that for years!" (grin)

According to KBB, there's a trend toward SERENE due to our growing interconnectedness with social media causing us to spend a lot of our waking hours "staring at some sort of computer screen. . . As a result we have seen a shift to a more neutral and natural design aesthetic as an escape from the chaos that is everyday life."

GRAYS, SOFT WHITES, and other NEUTRAL PALETTES are the hottest trend for 2016 because after a busy day, we are ready for some 'CALM, SIMPLICITY, SPIRITUALITY, LESS-IS-MORE visual relief.' . .The neutral palettes are also a wonderful backdrop to add more color--if desired--at any time. . .

I've been thinking about our own kitchen for this coming year. . .It's time to repaint and refresh. . .We also have a sink to replace, which I hope will be one of those deep porcelain ones. . .so I began looking for inspiration. . .Here's a few that I selected at the BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS and the KITCHEN AND BATH BUSINESS websites:

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Notice the use of BLACK or a dark, smoky gray in some of the photos. . .They look much like our kitchen palette already. . .HMMMMM. . .

I do like the kitchens that are less cluttered . . .Maybe I'll just up-date with fresh paint and put more items out of sight for a fresh, more contemporary look for 2016. . ."LESS IS MORE". . .or so they say. . .

Thursday, February 11, 2016

I love surprising people throughout the year with little recognitions of how SPECIAL they are. . .I see no reason to only REMEMBER others at Christmastime. . .My brother has taught me that. . .He rarely sends GIFTS at holidays or birthdays. . .but throughout the year, PACKAGES may arrive 'out of the blue'. . .To tell you the truth, those little REMEMBRANCES touch me greatly. . .

And so, I took the opportunity to do something a little special for VALENTINE'S DAY and for a few of those whom we consider FRIENDS. . .as a Thank You. . .and hopefully to make them feel 'LOVED' themselves. . .What's the best way to touch the HEART? . .HOME-BAKED GOODIES!!!

These Red Velvet Cupcakes with their cute Oreo Flowers are so, so SIMPLE. . .and you'll need very few ingredients. . .Actually, I made the first batch to test out an IDEA I'd seen at a local bakery. . .It went so quickly and got the THUMBS UP from John's taste testing that I decided to make more. . .Honest. . .I spent maybe 45 minutes on the first fifteen cupcakes, not including the cooking time. . .Before the afternoon was over, I had red and pink all over the kitchen. . .but so HAPPY with the results. . . .

Since I can't send each of you a RED VELVET CUPCAKE. . .I'm doing the next best thing. . .Sharing the QUICK AND SIMPLE with you. . .

Friday, February 5, 2016

It's almost the DAY OF LOVE. . .Candy, Flowers, Cards. . .A Special Holiday for those SPECIAL PEOPLE. . To celebrate we've put together six Rag Rug Loom GIFT SETS--five Mini Loom Gift Sets and one 2N1 Loom Gift Set. . .They'll be available for purchase through FEBRUARY 14 only. . .They'll disappear after that.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

I needed a pick-me-up for the FARMHOUSE this week. . .Something that promised Spring was coming. . .Something comfy and cozy feeling. . .Something utilizing what I already had on-hand.

I was thinking about this as I sewed up a few more MINI RAG RUG LOOM GIFT SETS for VALENTINE'S DAY. . .noticing that the ones I favored were SOFT DENIM BLUES. . .and suddenly realizing how nice those soft blues looked with neutrals. . .As we all know, denim can come in a lot of different shades. . .but MY STYLE appeared to be the softer hues.

Actually, my LOVE and RESPECT for DENIM has evolved gradually. . .

I was reminded with the gift bags that little by little

I had incorporated DENIM into my PLAIN AND SIMPLE FARMHOUSE STYLE all along . . .

The difference this time was settling on the WORN AND FADED SOFT BLUES. . .

instead of a hodge-podge of colors. . .Maybe an occasional darker denim to make things interesting. . .MAYBE.

Sometimes an obvious idea is overlooked. . .DENIM CLOTHING has always been a huge favorite on our COTTON FARM. . .Denim IS made from cotton, you know. . .(duh--another no brainer I missed)

So. . .I began gathering together the worn, faded, frayed denims. . .stacked up in the sewing room. . .to see what I could do.

The FARMHOUSE BATH was the first to get a make-over. . .

It was the obvious choice since it already had SOFT BLUE WAINSCOTING. . .

Again, I grabbed possibilities close at hand. . .bought at yard sales last Summer.

There's NO RULE that we must buy our KITCHEN TOWELS. . is there?

If there is, then I'm a REBEL. . .

because this TOWEL was made from the back of a man's DENIM SHIRT. . .

and parts and pieces from others. . .LOVE IT. . .

I was on a roll. . .On to the living room for a few ACCENTS there. . .

as the entire house began to come together. . .

An afternoon spent. . .and see the results!!!

From now on, I'll be looking at the SOFT BLUE DENIMS in a different way. . .but will use them as ACCENTS. . .not as the primary focus. . .NEUTRALS continue to rule here. . .Yet. . .Simple POPS OF COLOR do freshen up the OLE' FARMHOUSE. . .